Question

Treating choline with acetic anhydride gives acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. Write an equation for the formation of acetylcholine. $$ \left(\mathrm{CH}_{3}\right)_{3} \mathrm{NCH}_{2} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{OH} $$ Choline

Short answer

Answer: The balanced chemical equation for the formation of acetylcholine from choline and acetic anhydride is: $$ (\mathrm{CH}_{3})_{3} \mathrm{NCH}_{2} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{OH} + \mathrm{CH}_{3}\mathrm{CO}\mathrm{O}\mathrm{CO}\mathrm{CH}_{3} \rightarrow \left(\mathrm{CH}_{3}\right)_{3} \mathrm{NCH}_{2} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{O}\mathrm{CO}\mathrm{CH}_{3} + \mathrm{CH}_{3}\mathrm{COOH} $$

Step-by-step solution

Identify the structures of choline and acetic anhydride

Choline has the following structure: $$ (\mathrm{CH}_{3})_{3} \mathrm{NCH}_{2} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{OH} $$ And acetic anhydride has the following structure: $$ \mathrm{CH}_{3}\mathrm{CO}\mathrm{O}\mathrm{CO}\mathrm{CH}_{3} $$

Understand the formation of acetylcholine

In the presence of choline and acetic anhydride, an acetyl group from acetic anhydride reacts with the hydroxyl group of choline to form an ester bond, producing acetylcholine and acetic acid as products. Acetylcholine has the following structure: $$ \left(\mathrm{CH}_{3}\right)_{3} \mathrm{NCH}_{2} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{O}\mathrm{CO}\mathrm{CH}_{3} $$ While acetic acid has the following structure: $$ \mathrm{CH}_{3}\mathrm{COOH} $$

Write the balanced chemical equation

Now that we understand the reaction between choline and acetic anhydride, we can write the balanced chemical equation showing the formation of acetylcholine, as follows: $$ (\mathrm{CH}_{3})_{3} \mathrm{NCH}_{2} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{OH} + \mathrm{CH}_{3}\mathrm{CO}\mathrm{O}\mathrm{CO}\mathrm{CH}_{3} \rightarrow \left(\mathrm{CH}_{3}\right)_{3} \mathrm{NCH}_{2} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{O}\mathrm{CO}\mathrm{CH}_{3} + \mathrm{CH}_{3}\mathrm{COOH} $$